CU-1c-1890-01 Cud

Description

By 1890 the Indian Head Cent design was over thirty years old and still serving as America's sole one-cent denomination, with the Philadelphia Mint producing them in enormous quantities. The 1890 mintage of approximately 57.2 million was among the largest production years for the series, reflecting growing demand for small change in an expanding national economy. More dies consumed during a higher-production year means more opportunities for rim fractures and therefore more potential cuds. CU-1c-1890-01 is the first documented cud die for this date, cataloged in the Cuds on Coins reference system. The coin was struck in bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc), the standard alloy since 1864. A cud forms when a section of die rim fractures under repeated striking stress, separates from the die body, and leaves a cavity that fills with metal during subsequent impressions, producing a raised featureless mass at the coin's edge. The position of each cud is unique to the specific die that failed. No additional cross-references have been recorded.

External References